RALEIGH, N.C. (NCN News) – Boosting rural health services is the goal behind $10 million dollars in grants announced by state health officials Monday (June 8).
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced that it will provide $10 million to 39 local EMS agencies through the NC Rural Health Transformation Program. The funds awarded by the NCDHHS Office of Emergency Medical Services for Mobile Integrated Health will strengthen the EMS workforce and expand rural communities’ access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment and services.
“Every North Carolinian deserves access to safe, affordable, quality health care, no matter where they live,” Governor Josh Stein said a in a press release. “Investing in our EMS workforce and expanding behavioral health services in the rural parts of the state will help North Carolinians get the care they need closer to home.”
“Improving access to care starts with investing in our health care providers, including our frontline EMS workforce,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “By strengthening EMS-led Mobile Integrated Health programs, we can provide timely treatment, support life-saving recovery, and ultimately reduce preventable overdoses.”
This NCRHTP funding gives EMS providers across North Carolina the tools, training, and resources needed to support residents with substance use disorders beyond the initial 911 call. In 2021, rural North Carolinians experienced higher rates of both fatal drug overdoses and overdose-related emergency department visits compared to those rates for urban North Carolinians. The awarded funds enable EMS agencies to address these trends by providing medication for opioid use disorder, supporting rapid follow-up care after overdose events, and connecting individuals to treatment and recovery services. These locally led initiatives developed by EMS providers allow rural residents to receive direct care in their communities when they need it most.
“EMS professionals are uniquely positioned at the intersection of emergency response and health care delivery, serving as a critical link in the continuum of care for rural communities,” said Tom Mitchell, Chief of the NCDHHS Office of Emergency Medical Services.
The NCRHTP investment recognizes EMS as an essential component of North Carolina’s health care workforce and a vital partner in expanding access to behavioral health care and substance use disorder treatment. This initiative represents an important step toward ensuring that rural residents have greater access to the services and support they need to achieve long-term health and recovery.